Infant mobile with illuminated and rotating elements

ABSTRACT

An infant mobile includes an arm and an axle or hub extending downward from the arm which is rotatable 360° in its axis. At least one translucent element extends outward from the axle or hub. At least one light emitting device is operatively associated with the translucent element to provide illumination to the translucent element. A motor is operatively associated with the hub or axle so that during use of the mobile, the motor causes the hub or axle to rotate 360° causing the translucent element to rotate relative to the arm of the mobile.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an infant mobile and in particular an infant mobile which has various elements including illuminated parts and rotating elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Parents of infants use mobiles to stimulate the attention of a newborn child and to provide entertainment. Often a mobile is attached to a crib or playpen. Conventional infant mobiles include different elements such as dangling shapes and objects. Some infant mobiles have a motor which may be electric powered such as a battery operated motor, or a wind up motor, which cause various elements to spin or rotate relative to an arm of the mobile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an infant mobile which provides for unique infant entertainment over prior infant mobiles. The present infant mobile includes a plurality of elements which extend from a rotating axle or hub of a mobile support arm. Advantageously, during operation, various elements attached to the axle rotate, 360° relative to the support arm, about the axle's or hub's axis. A motor is associated with the axle or hub to rotate the translucent elements about the axis of the axle or hub.

The translucent elements are associated with one or more light emitting devices or light sources such as a light emitting diode (LED) which specifically illuminate the translucent elements. The illuminated translucent elements allow one to see the translucent elements in a dim or dark room.

In addition, the infant mobile may include additional features which can include a sound machine or sound generator which can produce different sounds such as music, songs or soothing sounds. In one advantageous form, the sound generator is disposed in a base of the mobile, removably attached to the arm of the mobile. The sound generator can be removed from the arm and used separate from the upper portion of the mobile, e.g. the arm and the rotatable, translucent elements.

Further, the infant mobile can include a light projector and an image filter for projecting different images on the wall and/or ceiling. For example, the image filter can include cutout shapes for different sizes of moons and stars. A light projector projects light through the image filter to cast the image of the cutout moons and stars on the ceiling and/or walls depending on how the mobile is configured.

The infant mobile can include additional elements which dangle from various portions of the mobile. For example, small stuffed animals or other shapes can extend downward from translucent elements along a string or wire attached to the translucent elements. In addition to or alternatively, a line in a form of a string or a wire can extend downward from the center of the hub parallel to the axis of rotation of the hub or axle and from it, additional shapes or elements can be disposed which are conventional in other infant mobiles, such as stars, and other geometric shapes.

The present invention, in one form thereof, relates to an infant mobile which includes an arm and an axle extending downward from the arm which is rotatable 360° in its axis. The mobile includes at least one translucent element extending outward from the axle. At least one light emitting device is operatively associated with at least one of the translucent elements. During use of the infant mobile, the light emitting device illuminates at least one of the translucent elements. A motor is operatively associated with the axle. During use of the infant mobile, the motor causes the axle with the at least one translucent element to rotate about the axis of the axle. In one advantageous form, the mobile has three translucent elements. In one further specific form, the translucent elements are in the shape of a leaf.

In yet another specific embodiment, the at least one light emitting device includes the same number of light emitting devices as the number of translucent elements, wherein each light emitting device is associated with a respective one of the translucent elements.

The light emitting device(s) can be adapted in various forms to provide for constant illumination of the translucent elements or vary the level of illumination so that the illumination of the translucent elements fade in and out. Illumination can be provided to the translucent elements through a hollow shaft which extends between the light emitting device(s) and a remaining portion of the translucent element(s).

The mobile can have a light projector which projects images upward or outward from the arm. The images can be produced from an image filter through which a projector light source projects light through the image filter and onto the wall and/or ceiling. The image filter may include shapes such as crescent moons of various sizes and stars of various sizes.

In yet an additional alternative further embodiment, the mobile may have a sound generator. The sound generator may generate music, songs or other soothing sounds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described with regard to the drawings as follows.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an infant mobile in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a remote control which is wirelessly associated with the mobile of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded, side elevation view of the mobile of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 a is a side elevation view of the mobile of FIG. 1 and of FIG. 3, shown with the base attached to the arm of the mobile in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 b is a side elevation view of the mobile of FIG. 3, shown with the base rotated 180°, relative to the orientation of the base in FIG. 4 a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described with reference to the figures. Mobile 10 includes a base 20, arm 30, rotating portion 40 and inner portion 50. Base 20 includes general controls 21 in the form of various buttons which control the function of the mobile 10. Buttons include power button 22, rotating and glow on/off button 23, projector on/off 24, volume up/volume down 25, and different sounds, music, songs buttons 26 a through 26 h.

The base 20 has a battery compartment (not shown) for containing one or more batteries which provide for electrical functions of the mobile as will be discussed below. In addition, the base 20 has a speaker 27 for playing the sounds or music selected by pressing one of the buttons 26 a-26 h. Further, the base 20 has a handle 28.

Referring to FIG. 1, along with FIGS. 3 and 4 a and 4 b, arm 30 is removably attached to the base 20. This allows one to separate the upper portion of the mobile, i.e. the portions of arm 30, rotating portion 40 and inner portion 50 from the base 20. Separating the base 20 from the arm 30 allows one to use the base 20 as a sound generator or sound machine without the other functions of the mobile provided by the elements of the arm 30, rotating portion 40 and inner portion 50.

The base 20 is reversibly attached to arm 30 such that the handle 28 can face away from the rotating partion 40 (see e.g. FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 a) or base 20 can be oriented 180° around so that the handle 28 faces toward the rotating portion as shown in FIG. 4 b. To change the orientation of base 20 relative to arm 30, one pulls the arm 30 away from the base 20 to separate the base 20 from the arm 30 as shown in FIG. 3. Then one turns/rotations the base 20 relative to the arm 30 and reattaches the base 20 to the arm 30 to form the connect mobile 10 shown in FIG. 4 b. A suitable electrical connection between the base 20 and arm 30 allows electrical conductivity between the base 20 and arm 30 in both configurations as show in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b.

The electrical connection between base 20 and arm 30, provides an electrical connection from the battery/batteries (not shown) disposed in the base 20 to electrical elements disposed in the top portion of the arm, such as a motor 31 which provides rotation to the rotating portion 40. In addition, power is supplied through arm 30 from the base 20 to a projector light source 32 which is part of a light projector.

The light projector includes the projection light source 32 and an image filter 33. The image filter 33 can have various different cutout shapes 34 which include but is not limited to different crescent moon sizes and shapes and star sizes and shapes general indicated by reference number 34. The light source 32 projects light upward and outward from the mobile 10 through the image filter 33 to project various shapes on the wall and or ceiling.

The rotating portion 40 extends downward from the arm 30 along an axle or hub 41. The hub 41 is in the form of an axle rotatable 360 about its center axis 42. Extending radially from the hub 41 in a direction substantially perpendicular to and radial from the center axis 42 are a plurality of translucent elements, such as leaves 43. The leaves 43 have a hollow shaft or channel 44 which allows light to be directed along a path from a light generating source such as light emitting diode 45 to illuminate a remaining portion of the translucent element 43. Although FIG. 1 depicts a respective light emitting device, in the form of a light emitting diode (LED), for each translucent element 43, a single light source or single LED can be disposed at the center of the hub 41 or within the arm 30 above the hub 41, e.g. adjacent or proximate motor 31, to provide illumination to all of the translucent elements 43.

It will be appreciated that although the translucent elements 43 are shown in FIG. 1 as being in the shape of a leaf, other alternatively shaped elements may be used in place of a leaf shape. Further, although FIG. 1 shows four translucent elements 43, a different number of translucent elements may be used including a single translucent element, 2, 3, 5 or more.

Extending downward along a line (for example a string or wire 46) are dangling elements 47 which may be in the form of balls. Alternatively, instead of balls, the dangling elements 47 can be in the form of geometric shapes such as stars, crescent moons, triangles, squares, etc. and three dimensional objects such as boxes, pyrimids, etc. Still further, the elements 47 can be alternatively stuffed animals.

The inner portion 50 includes wire 51 and a plurality of dangling elements 52. The dangling elements 52 are depicted as stars but alternative geometric shapes can be used.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a remote control is operatively wirelessly associated with the mobile base 20 for controlling various functions of the mobile 10. Remote 60 includes an elastic cord 64 and a groove 66. The elastic cord 64 can be retracted or drawn within the groove 66 when not in use i.e. extended outward in the form of a loop as shown in FIG. 2.

Pressing button 62 of remote 60 can toggle on and off various functions of the mobile 10. For example, pressing the button 62 once can turn off all functions of the mobile 10, such as the sound, projection light source 32 and rotation and glow of the translucent elements 40. Pressing the button 62 again can return the mobile to its original on state prior to pressing button 62.

Various functions and operations of the mobile 10 will now be described in further detail. Separately, the three individual functions of the mobile 10 can be turned on and off. These three functions are the sound generator, the rotation and illumination of the translucent elements 43 and the light projection via projector light source 32. These functions are operated by pressing the button 23 to turn on and off the rotation and glow of translucent elements 43, pressing button 24 to turn on and off the projector light source 32 and pressing any one of the buttons 26 a-26 h to play a desired sound. Pressing the left side of button 25 decreases the volume and pressing the right side of button 25 increase the volume of the sounds through the speaker 27. Various songs which may be played include but are not limited to Brahm's lullaby, Rock-a-Bye baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, rainforest, jungle crickets, waves, heartbeat and Eine Kline, etc. Master power button 22 turns off all functions of the mobile 10.

It will be now clear to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention provides features and advantages not found in prior mobiles. These features include an illuminated translucent rotating element such as leaves 43. In addition, the mobile includes a removable sound generating base 20 which adds additional functionality to the mobile and allows the mobile to be used at different stages of an infant's life as the infant grows.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional embodiments are also possible without departing from the teachings of the presently-disclosed subject matter. This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, is given primarily for clarity of understanding, and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently-disclosed subject matter. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An infant mobile, comprising: an arm; an axle extending downward from the arm and rotatable 360° in its axis; at least one translucent element extending radially outward from the axle; at least one light emitting device operatively associated with at least one of the at least one translucent elements, wherein during operational use of the infant mobile, the at least one light emitting device illuminates at least one of the at least one translucent elements; and a motor operatively associated with the axle, wherein during operation use of the infant mobile, the motor causes the axle with the at least one translucent element to rotate about the axle axis.
 2. The infant mobile of claim 1, wherein the at least one translucent element comprises at least three elements.
 3. The infant mobile of claim 2, wherein the translucent elements are in the shape of a leaf.
 4. The infant mobile of claim 2, wherein the axle comprises a hub to which each translucent element radially extends therefrom.
 5. The infant mobile of claim 2, wherein a number of the at least one light emitting device is the same as a number of translucent elements and wherein each of the light emitting devices is associated with a respective one of the translucent elements.
 6. The infant mobile of claim 1, further comprising a light projector for protecting images upward from the arm.
 7. The infant mobile of claim 6, wherein the light projector comprises a projector light source and an image filter through which the projector light source projects light upward from the infant mobile.
 8. The infant mobile of claim 7, wherein, during use, the light source projects light upward from the infant mobile in a direction opposite a direction of the axis of the axle.
 9. The infant mobile of claim 7, wherein the image filter comprises a plurality of differently shaped apertures selected from the group consisting of moon shapes and stars.
 10. The infant mobile of claim 9, wherein the moon shapes and stars have different sizes.
 11. The infant mobile of claim 1, further comprising a sound generating device.
 12. The infant mobile of claim 11, wherein the sound generating device comprises generating music.
 13. The infant mobile of claim 11, wherein the sound generating device is removeably attached to the arm.
 14. The infant mobile of claim 1, further comprising a remote control wirelessly associated with at least one of the motor and the at least one light emitting device to selectively operate functions of the motor or the light emitting device.
 15. The infant mobile of claim 1, wherein the light emitting device provides a constant illumination glow to the at least one translucent element.
 16. The infant mobile of claim 15, wherein, during operation, the light emitting device varies the illumination level to the at least one translucent element to thereby result in the illumination of the translucent element to fade in and out.
 17. The infant mobile of claim 16, wherein the light emitting device comprises a light emitting diode and the at least one translucent element comprises a hollow shaft leading from the light emitting diode forming a light path from light emitting diode and to a remaining portion of the at least one translucent element.
 18. An infant mobile comprising, an arm; a hub extending downward from the arm and rotatably mounted therefrom for 360° rotation about its center axis; at least three translucent elements extending radially from the hub; at least one light emitting device operatively associated with at least one translucent elements, wherein during operational use of the infant mobile, the at least one light emitting device illuminates at least one of the at least one translucent elements; and a motor operatively associated with the hub, wherein during operation use of the infant mobile, the motor causes the hub with the at least three translucent elements to rotate about the hub center axis.
 19. The infant mobile of claim 18, wherein at least one light emitting device comprises at least three light emitting devices, one of the light emitting devices associated with a respective one of the at least three translucent elements.
 20. The infant mobile of claim 18, further comprising a light projector for protecting images outward from the arm. 